Thread: Beginning Scale Maker Questions

Originally Posted by Diboll

Richard,
A special thanks for the safety input. I have been paying special attention to the dust warnings since I already live with COPD and have to pay special attention to anything that affects breathing. I do have a good mask with replaceable filters that I use religiously.

Thank for the reply, I worked many years in situations where speed was essential and safety was way down the list. I am paying back dues for those days.
Be well and prosper!
~Richard

Originally Posted by Diboll

Richard,
A special thanks for the safety input. I have been paying special attention to the dust warnings since I already live with COPD and have to pay special attention to anything that affects breathing. I do have a good mask with replaceable filters that I use religiously.

In that case you should keep in mind that no filter is perfect. Do everything possible to remove the dirty air and replace it with clean air but continue to wear that mask.

Don't put too much weight on my advice, because I'm pretty new at this. But, here's a couple of thoughts:

-- The range you quoted of up to 0.12" is just about 1/8 (0.125"). So you don't have to thin much. I've been using 1/8 wood and now acrylic. I don't concentrate on thinning.
-- If you are going to round the scales like we commonly see, then you will create the illusion of much thinner scales. Its because of the thinner edges.
-- You will thin them some just from sanding out the scratches.

I'll be interested in hearing how the epoxy resin works out. Don't forget some pictures.

When it comes to dust it is all toxic, but some are worse than others. A belt and suspenders is the very best approach, dost control and a respirator, and as Richard mention change clothes and shower.

Originally Posted by MrHouston

-- The range you quoted of up to 0.12" is just about 1/8 (0.125"). So you don't have to thin much. I've been using 1/8 wood and now acrylic. I don't concentrate on thinning.

I'll be interested in hearing how the epoxy resin works out. Don't forget some pictures.

The range of up to 0.12" was on existing razors.

If the epoxy resin was 0.12" and uniform I would be happy as a lark. What I've got to deal with is up 0.221" and varies in thickness.

I was actually looking for acrylic when I ran across the epoxy resin. Where do you get your acrylic?

Originally Posted by Geezer

Thank for the reply, I worked many years in situations where speed was essential and safety was way down the list. I am paying back dues for those days.
Be well and prosper!
~Richard

Been there, done that. Plus I abused myself with tobacco for many years.

Originally Posted by Utopian

In that case you should keep in mind that no filter is perfect. Do everything possible to remove the dirty air and replace it with clean air but continue to wear that mask.

I do my sanding in the open air. If there is not a cross breeze I run a floor fan.

Originally Posted by RezDog

When it comes to dust it is all toxic, but some are worse than others. A belt and suspenders is the very best approach, dost control and a respirator, and as Richard mention change clothes and shower.

My belt sander has a dust collection port that I hook my shop vac to.

If after all of the above it seems to have a detrimental effect, I'll send the razors to someone else to re-scale.

I have very little experience with power tools other than those I need to maintain things around the house = namely a drill. I do have a bunch of Japanese hand saws, but no power saws. I have a random orbital sander and a whack of different kinds of sandpaper and micro mesh pads, but no belt, disc or drum sander. I use a fret saw and do not own a jig saw or power scroll saw. I do have and often use a Dremel, but don’t own a buffer.

All of that was said in public to convince myself to try to make some scales using only hand tools. I saw a video of Charlie Lewis doing just that on YouTube and have been tossing that idea around for quite a while. While I have nowhere near the expertise and experience of Mr. Lewis, he certainly has motivated me to try.

Are all the precautions mentioned above as necessary when using only hand tools?

Precautions are always necessary, but you have to remember that power tools are more likely to cause a lot of airborne dust. Hand tools and wet sanding keep it out of the air, but you still need to clean up well and wet disposable rags are good when using hand tools, as opposed to a vacuum. If you are using G-10 the dust is har core. As a rule if you can smell it you need a mask. I have a ton of dust control via vacuums in my shop and it is rare that you can smell what you are working on but I still wear a mask when working with G-10,yellow cedar, pacific yew, and red cedar. All of those and many more are high on the chart of bad stuff, and all are in my workshop.

Originally Posted by Diboll

I was actually looking for acrylic when I ran across the epoxy resin. Where do you get your acrylic?

I've only bought acrylic once and it was recent. I found pretty reasonable prices and shipping at Delvie's Plastics: LINK
It's about $6 per square foot for 1/8 thick. I bought 5 sheets to make shipping worth while at $13.50.

Yes, the pink 3M filters are really good. Richard mentioned this, though I'll mention again. G-10 and carbon fiber produce dust you never want to be exposed to without a proper respirator. Not the cheap little dust masks, but a good respirator.

I also where a long sleeve tee with a rubber band around the writs and exam gloves with these two materials, otherwise you get a couple of days of fiber glass arms.

Both materials are also hard on equipment and wear out sanding belts and blades.

I don't work with those two materials unless I have a good reason, such as a liner for a pair of scales where I have concern that they may break.